#blackouttuesday has taken over social media and many fast fashion brands are taking this opportunity to show their 'support' to the Black Lives Matter movement. So many major fashion brands are filling their feed with black squares this week to take time to ‘educate their followers’ on the current climate in America and protests around the world fighting for equality and against systemic racism.
But if you've read anything about the #payup movement, you might wonder if this isn't a bit hypocritical. For anyone who needs a quick catch up: fast fashion brands have cancelled payments to their supply chains since the start of the Covid-19 breakout, for work ALREADY DONE and are leaving millions of garment workers without jobs. Most supply chains are based in India (think Bangladesh), Myanmar and Cambodia, where a lack of legislation and unemployment insurance is throwing people out on the streets by the thousands.
I'm sorry to say, but these brands are using the momentum of the BLM movement for their own marketing strategies and we cannot let them do this.
It is utterly and completely wrong to set up a supply chain in a country where garment workers are treated horribly, paid far below the living wage and letting them work in dire conditions for long hours.
It is so disgracefully wrong for these brands to then use statements saying they believe in equal rights for everyone.
I want you to understand that the CEO's of those brands just don't give a fuck. They honestly don't. When a brand is selling you a piece of clothing for £8, how could you expect their people and the earth have been treated correctly? How can you expect these billion dollar companies to care when they keep on paying their CEO's big bonuses for Christmas every year?
Do not believe Primark, H&M, Topshop, Fashion Nova, Forever21, Gap or Urban Outfitters when they're trying to sell you a fairytale of the 'positive' they do with a couple of social media posts. Please call them out on your social media and STOP buying from them.
So, before they can claim anywhere that they care about POC, they need to SHOW that they do - by at least paying the supply chains the money they owe.
Next up: start paying everyone who works in your supply chain a decent living wage and give them a proper place to work, with proper working hours.
Follow Remake Our World for the latest news on brands who have - only because they were put under pressure - decided to pay up.
If you still don't understand systemic racism
African Americans are three times more likely to die from pollution than white folks. PoC are more like to live near major roads or industrial plants and living right around the corner from landfills, power or industrial plants means that the air (and often water and soil) is polluted. The sad fact is that race matters more than income in regards to breathing in NO2.
Black and Hispanic neighborhoods have fewer large grocery stores than white neighborhoods, as supermarket chains avoid low-income neighborhoods. The smaller grocery stores in black neighborhoods also sell more junk food than healthy foods, are more expensive and often don't have car parks. Improving access to fresh foods is a big solution in combating health problems such as diabetes and obesity, and we need supermarket chains to start opening up shops in these food deserts.
Fashion brands (and other corporations) are taking this opportunity to take to Instagram and posting that BLM, even though they aren't paying their supply chain (with millions of POC being without jobs) and don't use any black influencers for their branding until this moment. Check out the other post for more information on this, because there is so much to say about this.
I am just shocked and appalled by all the white men (let's face it, it's mainly white middle-aged men) going out to these peaceful protests to tell those people they aren't worthy. Like, what the actual fuck? Stay indoors and keep your coronavirus inside your own house.
I am sorry for how this world has worked for the last, well, hundreds of years and I really hope that with so many protests around the world more governments, councils and corporations are finally going to change their ways.